Side wall coring device



March 14, 195o L. B. [CE 2,500,252

E SIDE 'WALL CoRING DEVICE Fileduan. si, 1947 2 sheets-sheet 1' me/who@March E4, 1950 L. B. lcE 2,500,252

SIDE WALL CORING DEVICE Filed Jan. 31, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Figi F59310 azr Patented Mar. 14, 1950 UNITED* STATS ENT 0F FIC S1DE WALL CORINGDEVICE' Lester. B. llce, Shreveport,La.

Application 3anuary`3'1, 1947, Serial'No. 725,653

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to devices for taking core samples from the sidewalls of wells.

An object oi the invention is to provide a device for taking a lateralcore from the side wal-l of a well at intervals` therealong, whereby thenature of the various strata may be determined from examination of thecores.

Another object of the invention is to provide. a device for takinglateral side wall coreswhich is so constructed as to take a sizable coreon the order of about one inch in diameter and about twoieet long,whereby examination of the core may be facilitated during logging ofthewell strata.

A further object of the invention is to provide. e, hydraulic lateralsidewall core boring device including a hollow, relatively stationarycasing with a core drilling member disposed in the casing, and means forextending the drilling mein-- ber out or the casing and for actuating itto drill a core, and for retracting the drilling member inside thecasing when the core has been taken.

Still another object of the invention is toI provide a lateral side wallcore boring device which is simple' in design, easily constructedandsup-r ported in a well, and effective in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description of a preferred embodiment thereof asillustrated in the accompanying drawings, and in which:

Figure l is a vertical sectional elevation of the lower portion of myimproved side wall coring device, l

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional elevation of the upper portion of thedevice shown in Figure l, theA two views being joinable along the upperline of Figure 1 and the lower line of Figure 2,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the central portion ofthe parts shown in Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the lower portion of the partsshown in Figure 1,.

Figure 5 is an outside view of the lower portion of the device shown inFigure 1, a part of. the view being sectioned to show the core drillingmember in retracted position,

Figure 6 is a sectional plan view taken on line B-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 7 is a left side elevational View of the device shown in Figure5, and

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the coredrilling member.

In order to understand the nature of the invention. and the best meansfor carrying itout,

reference rnayy now be had to the drawings, in which like referencecharacters denote similar parts throughout the' several views'. Asshown., there is a bod-y i, the lower end of which is rounded and shapedas shown, and the upper end of' which nts in-to the substitute adapter 3A nut 'd2 is threaded' onto the reduced upper end of the body4 i, asbest shown in Figures 1 and- 3A, thel nut also bearing against an innershoulder or" the adapter- 3l?, to hold the body and adapterinengagement.V An anti-friction roller thrust bearing et is disposed inan annular recess formed in the abutting portions oi the adapter 3l andthe body l, to permit them to turn relative to each other.

A drill collar 2 is threaded at its lower end to the upper end of thesubstitute adapter Si, and asubstitute coupling 3l is threaded onto theupper end of' the drill collar 2. A tool joint 5i! is threaded onto theupper end of the coupling E, and a stem element 62 is threaded onto theupper end of the tool joint S01, as shown in Figure 2. A coil spring 41is disposed inside the drill collar 2, with its lower end seated on theupper end of. the driving sleeve '5. The lower end ci the driving sleeve5. bears against the packing 33- and the upper end of the body l,forming a tight seal therebetween.

A hollow head tanged driving screw t is threaded into both the wall ofthe drill collar 2 and the driving sleeve 5, holding them togetheragainst relative rotation.

The body I has an axial bore which is inclined outwardly at its lowerend portion as shown in Figures 1 and 3, to receive the core. cutter 'iwhich is secured to the inner core barrel main body lil by means of acore cutter substitute coupling 9. and a number of knuckle jointelements tl inn terposed therebetween. A core catcher t nts inside thecore cutter l, as best shown in Figure 8, the core cutter being providedwith a toothed lower end for cutting the core as it rotates.

As shown best in Figures l and 3, the knuckle joint elements are formed,as at tt, with teeth secured with a flexible liner inside to keep the-1ntogether, and with short flexible sleeves over each joint to engage thejoint. elements and hold them together while allowing the whole assemblyto flex as it moves and rotates inside the inclined exit tube from whichthe core cutter protrudes when the core is to be taken.

A valve case assembly includes a cage ll, having an axial end openingin. which is seated a ball valve I2, the ball being biased into seatingengagement with the opening by a, spring i3. Apertures are also formedin the side walls of the cage il as shown. The cage H is threaded ontothe upper end or the inner core barrel main body i0, and the lower endof a latch body i4 is threaded into the upper end of the cage Ii. Alatch l5 is pivoted to the latch body I4, being biased outwardly asshown in Figure 1 by means of springs i6.

A hollow tubular spear sleeve and latch trip i1 fits around and over thelatch assembly as shown in Figures l and 2, being apertured at 68 toallow the tongue of the latch to protrude therethrough. A spear sleevetop member I8 is threaded onto the upper end of the sleeve 1. A spearhead i9 and sleeve 2G nt inside the spear sleeve and latch trip il' andE8, as shown in Figure 2, keepers and springs being disposed at 2l tokeep the assembly together. An overshot spear head 22 nts onto the upperend of the spear head 2G.

A steel disc 23 which has a number of spaced apertures formed therein toallow passage of iluid under pressure is fitted securely onto the spearsleeve top i8 to guide the inner barrel and protect the leather cup typepiston 24 from fouling, and for guiding the same into the cylinder ofthe drill collar 3. A steel disk 25 furnishes support for the leatherpiston 24 from beneath.

For lowering the core boring device into position, and for retrieving itwith the core, I provide a rope socket 2E for engaging a wire rope ill,the rope being thus secured to a sinker bar 2l, the lower end of whichis secured to an overshot 28 with a spear head catcher 29 to engage thespear head 22.

A core barrel stop sleeve is shown at il in Figures 1 and 3, with apacking 40 therebelow to seal oli the fluid to permit a dry core to betaken. The packing 33 seals off drilling mud and fluid from the bearing30.

A toothed dog 'l2 has an inner extension lli riding in an inclinedgroove 'i6 under the inuence of a piston rod 38 having a piston cup 35on one end, a spring 3'! acting between a yoke extension of the body andthe piston and serving to bias the piston rod and cup downwardly as seenin Figiues 1 and 4, holding the dog in its lower or retracted positionshown in Figure 4 and in Figure 5. Suitable ducts, as at 82, areprovided through the members 3 and 2 to conduct the liquid under highpressure from above to the ducts S2 in the body I, to press the pistonrod and cup 3S and 38 upwards as shown in Figure 1, thus moving the dog72 along its inclined path upwards and outwards beyond the outer surfaceof the body l, to engage firmly against the wall of the well bore,pressing the opposite surface of the body having the inclined opening imagainst the opposite well bore surface.

The device can be placed on the end of the drill pipe and lowered to thedeepest show, the pumps being then started up to build up the pressureinside the drill pipe and inside the tool body I, actuating the piston36 and engaging the toothed dog l2 to the well bore side wall. The teethwill keep the body i from rotating or turning as the well rotary on thederrick licor is engaged to start rotation of the elements shown, thatis, all except the body i. As the inner barrel assembly is dropped orpumped down, it automatically locks in place as the latch snapsoutwardly to the position shown in Figure 1, and the rotation istransferred from the rotary to the drill pipe and in turn is transferredfrom the drill pipe to the inner barrel by the driving hollow tangedscrew 6 into the slot in the driving sleeve 5. As the barrelautomatically locks in place, the latch drives the inner barrel. Thepressure from the pumps will feed the core cutter bit out into theformations through the opening 8A, the cutter 'I rotating as it ispressed into the formation, thus cutting the core.

When the core is taken, the quick opening valve will release thepressure, and the spring li which was compressed will expand, retractingthe cutter inside the body l. Then the wire line overshot is dropped orpumped down to catch the spear head, the upward pull relieving the latchby drawing upwards on the sleeve Va' and camming the latch I5 inside theaperture 68 and out of blocking position. Continuation of the pull drawsup the entire inner assembly together with the core for examination, thecore being removed from the cutter 'i upon disassembly thereof. When theparts are assembled and re-lowered, they automatically snap into placeas they enter the couplings and body I, the latch snapping intoposition, thus permitting a number of cores to be taken as desired, thebody being disposed at any desired portion of the well bore for thispurpose.

This is of great assistance, particularly in verifying the results of anelectrical logging device. As an example, I estimate that a core can betaken by means of this device in about thirty minutes in a 6000 vfoottest.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention inspecic terms, it is to be understood that various changes may be made insize, shape, materials, and arrangement without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

In a device for taking cores from the walls of a well, comprising anelongated body having an axial bore extending a distance down into thebody from the upper encl thereof and having a downwardly extendinginclined section opening obliquely thru one side of said body above thelower end thereof, core boring means rotatably disposed in the bore andadapted to be advanced therein to extend downwardly out through theobliquely opening in said body in response to iuid pressure applied insaid bore to the core boring means within said body, the latter having adog recess forming a cavity opening to another side of said body and adog movable into and out of the dog recess and provided exteriorly witha plurality of teeth for engaging with a side of the well, the featureswhich include having the dog recess opening to the side opposite to thatof the oblique opening for the core boring means and being substantiallytransversely opposite thereto, an upwardly inclined wall portion in saidelongated body forrning the upper bounding wall of said dog recess, acorresponding upwardly inclined upper portion upon the dog, said bodyhaving an inclined cylindrical bore parallel and adjacent to theupwardly inclined wall portion and the latter having elongated guidegroove portions therein, the inclined cylindrical bore being closed atboth ends and communicating along the upper portion thereof through aslot in said upwardly inclined wall portion with said dog recess, andsaid body also having a pressure fluid passage connecting the lowerportion of said inclined cylindrical bore with the portion of aforesaidaxial bore subjected to fluid pressure in order to communicate thelatter to said inclined cylindrical bore when the core boring means isextended -posite to the extension of the core boring means through theoblique opening in said elongated body.

LESTER B. ICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,173,531 De Long Sept. 19, 19392,173,532 De Long Sept. 19, 1939 2,327,023 Danner Aug. 17, 19432,354,399 Noble July 25, 1944 2,386,514 Stokes Oct. 9, 1945

